California Water Digest — 2026-07-11

16 item(s) from 7 source(s); 12 flagged (🔔) for your blog keywords.

📰 News & Policy

🔔 WEEKLY WATER NEWS DIGEST for 7/6-10: What a strong El Niño means for CA; Kern water districts slash support for Delta tunnel; Reclamation’s Shasta plan poses salmon peril; Golden mussels plague farms and water districts; and more …

Maven’s Notebook — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:30:07 +0000

A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week … Note to readers: Sign up for weekly email service and you will receive notification of this post on Friday mornings. Readers on daily email service can add weekly email service by updating their subscription preferences. Click here to sign up! [cmtoctableofcontents] In California water news this week … Strong El Niño now a virtual certai…

🔔 Going with the flow…while it lasts

SJV Water — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:19:42 +0000

Reading Summary: “Going with the Flow…While It Lasts”

Source: SJV Water | sjvwater.org

Key Facts

The City of Bakersfield committed to releasing Kern River water through the normally dry urban riverbed at least through July 30th
“Sunsets on the River” events are held every Thursday at Yokuts Park at 6:30 p.m. until sunset — free, no registration required
Activities include rubber duck races, fly fishing demos, and flora/fauna education; water fights are encouraged
Bring Back the Kern and Water Audit California sued Bakersfield in 2022 over river operations
The main lawsuit returns to court in February 2027; a portion may reach the California Supreme Court in September

Who Is Affected

City of Bakersfield residents and families (recreation access)
Kern River ecosystem (normally dry through the urban stretch)
Advocacy groups: Bring Back the Kern and Kern River Parkway Foundation

Policy/Legal Angle

Central legal question: Public Trust Doctrine, which requires water use to serve the greatest public benefit, including environmental and recreational purposes
Lawsuit filed 2022 challenging Bakersfield’s river operations under this doctrine
California Supreme Court may weigh in September on a portion of the case

Blog Angles

Public Trust Doctrine as a tool: Is this lawsuit a viable template for other California cities diverting rivers away from urban corridors? What precedent could the Supreme Court ruling set?
Temporary vs. permanent flows: Why does Bakersfield only commit to flows through July 30th — what happens to water rights and allocations after that date, and who controls that decision?
Grassroots pressure working? Did the 2022 lawsuit directly motivate the city’s temporary flow commitment, or are other factors (wet year surplus, political pressure) at play?

Full text ->

🔔 Colorado’s water commissioner says drought conversations are tough as ever - AOL.com

Google News — CA water — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 01:19:17 GMT

Colorado’s water commissioner says drought conversations are tough as ever AOL.com

🔔 Cadiz Pipeline Permit Threatens Mojave Desert Groundwater - National Parks Conservation Association

Google News — groundwater/SGMA — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:33:11 GMT

Cadiz Pipeline Permit Threatens Mojave Desert Groundwater National Parks Conservation Association

Blythe awarded $4.6 million for Hidden Beaches Water Quality project - PublicCEO

Google News — state agencies — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:13:57 GMT

Blythe awarded $4.6 million for Hidden Beaches Water Quality project PublicCEO

🔔 DAILY DIGEST, 7/10: Judge denies environmentalists pause on fed’s Shasta plan; What a strong El Niño means for CA; How climate change could raise your water bill; Trump admin OKs Cadiz plan to pipe water out of the Mojave Desert; and more …

Maven’s Notebook — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:00:44 +0000

[cmtoctableofcontents] Several news sources featured in the Daily Digest may limit the number of articles you can access without a subscription. However, gift articles and open-access links are provided when available. For more open access California water news articles, explore the main page at MavensNotebook.com. In California water news today … Judge denies environmentalists pause on fed’s Shas…

New Poll: Nearly 8 in 10 California Voters Want a Governor Who Prioritizes Water - The Manila Times

Google News — CA water — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 19:32:53 GMT

New Poll: Nearly 8 in 10 California Voters Want a Governor Who Prioritizes Water The Manila Times

🔔 Arizona irrigation district eyes California groundwater in bid to shore up water future - Havasu News

Google News — groundwater/SGMA — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:07:00 GMT

Arizona irrigation district eyes California groundwater in bid to shore up water future Havasu News

🔔 LOIS HENRY: Kern water districts slash support for delta tunnel to a third of 2025 levels - Bakersfield.com

Google News — state agencies — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 07:15:00 GMT

LOIS HENRY: Kern water districts slash support for delta tunnel to a third of 2025 levels Bakersfield.com

🔔 COURTHOUSE NEWS: Judge denies environmentalists pause on fed’s Shasta plan

Maven’s Notebook — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:55:59 +0000

Conservation groups say the large water infrastructure projects in Northern California could harm vulnerable salmon, trout and sturgeon populations. By Carly Nairn, Courthouse News Service A federal judge declined on Thursday to halt Northern California water infrastructure projects that a group of environmental nonprofits say will harm several vulnerable fish species. Denying a temporary restrain…

🔔 BLM Approves Pipeline Conversion for Mojave Groundwater Bank Project Developed with Lytton Rancheria - Native News Online

Google News — groundwater/SGMA — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:41:37 GMT

BLM Approves Pipeline Conversion for Mojave Groundwater Bank Project Developed with Lytton Rancheria Native News Online

🔔 SFEI: San Francisco rain gardens filter microplastic tire particles and dozens of chemicals from stormwater

Maven’s Notebook — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:55:35 +0000

From the San Francisco Estuary Institute: San Francisco’s rain gardens—the unassuming patches of greenery and mulch designed to soak up rainwater alongside urban roadways—may improve the environment in more ways than realized. A new SFEI-led study shows that rain gardens substantially reduce levels of 21 contaminants in stormwater before that water ends up in San Francisco Bay. The paper published…

SFEI: SF Bay Regional Monitoring Program: 20 Years of investigating underregulated chemicals

Maven’s Notebook — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:55:05 +0000

From the San Francisco Estuary Institute: The San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) lobby displays a high case with two dozen glass bottles that appear plucked from a mad scientist’s lab. The liquid in many bottles looks clear; others have visible tinges of oily orange, bright green, or mouthwash-blue. Placards note a water quality contaminant contained in each, from trash to mercury to biotoxins…

🔔 AMENDED NOTICE of hearing to consider modification of California American Water Company cease and desist order (State Water Board orders WR 2016-0016 and WR 2009-0060)

Maven’s Notebook — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:54:37 +0000

From the State Water Resources Control Board: On July 1, 2026, the State Water Resources Control Board received an objection from California American Water Company (Cal-Am) to the proposed deadline of July 20, 2026, for submitting testimony, and all deadlines thereafter. The objection requested an extension of 30 days for each deadline, which is hereby granted as reflected in the attached Amended …